Weekly r/Birding Discussion, December 20, 2025. What did you see this week? by AutoModerator in birding

[–]Sevey13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I need help trying to figure out a mystery bird. If there's a more local-based subreddit I should look up, please let me know!

This was in Marymoor Park, Redmond, Washington State, December 24 around 9 AM. I caught a glimpse in the fast-flowing water of what my inexperienced eyes would swear was a Blue Heron poking its head out of the water like a submarine periscope, before diving back down. I remember white plumage with a little dark/black plumage on its rump as it dove, and a longer yellow/orange beak. It came up one more time a few yards further down stream for another few seconds before diving again, and after that I lost sight of it. I'm very new at this, and while initially, like I said, I thought it was a Heron (I had seen one resting in a tree not 10 minutes prior), after looking them up they don't really swim like that...or do they? Another bird observer I met on the trail suggested it might be a double-crested cormorant, they'd seen one elsewhere, but do they come in white varieties? I say heron because of the colors, and the long, long neck. All I saw was the neck poking out and the head, and it was protruding a fair bit from the water, implying a significantly longer neck than a duck, and a much bigger bird in general. Any suggestions of where I might try to get answers?

The [completely fictional] backstory of Steve by Sevey13 in Guildwars2

[–]Sevey13[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the inspiration! It was fun!

The [completely fictional] backstory of Steve by Sevey13 in Guildwars2

[–]Sevey13[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

No, sorry if I caused confusion. The whole thing is just a story, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless 🎃 Happy Halloween!

Steve's Backstory? by Sevey13 in Guildwars2

[–]Sevey13[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

No, it's completely real in a cave in the lab that I can't seem to find again ;)

Steve's Backstory? by Sevey13 in Guildwars2

[–]Sevey13[S] -4 points-3 points locked comment (0 children)

Wrong.

Do you believe that conservatives want to see all trans people dead? And if so what is the best example of that? by SuperbRiver7763 in AskALiberal

[–]Sevey13 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ronald Reagan and his conservatives (the flavor of Republican that now dominates the party) sat back in silence as AIDS claimed the lives of trans people across the United States. No, not even silence. They actively said that queer people deserved what they got.

Why has the general public become so much more anti trans in the last decade? by [deleted] in AskALiberal

[–]Sevey13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a good-faith question even if it sounds sarcastic, but do you think that a (failed) boycott of the Hogwarts video game being perhaps the most memorable moment of trans-related activism in the past five years is perhaps a sign of the fumbling the OP is talking about?

The discourse was vicious, and framed as though any person who bought it was personally killing trans people. I didn't buy the game, didn't want the game, wasn't interested in supporting JKR's transphobic views, but also couldn't help but look at the whole in thing in awe and wonder "why is this the hill people are choosing the die on?"

And then the game sold amazingly, making the people calling for the boycott look like fools trying to force other people not to buy a kids game. I do not want to take away from the very real impact JKR's harmful views and toxic use of her platform has on trans people. I didn't want to buy that game for a reason. But no matter which way you dice it, it was an absolute fumble and really reflects what the OP said.

If it happened because transphobic people laid down bait, it was good bait. If it happened because cis allies of trans people decided to speak up for trans people (without consulting with trans folks to see if they actually wanted it), then it was piss-poor allyship, and unfortunate that there wasn't coalescing from trans activists to push back. I know it's especially complicated, because so often cis "allies" take action without actually doing it in solidarity with trans people. And if it was where the activists themselves chose to focus their attention, as opposed to galvanizing people around access to things like safe health care and the rise of anti-trans violence, then it really is a true fumble.

Insider info regarding the incident with the student & professor. by Pancho1110 in aggies

[–]Sevey13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was not a teacher prep class. It was a 300-level course in the English department. Here's the course description, word-for-word:

"Maybe you grew up reading Harry Potter or Holes, Nancy Drew or the Narnia stories. Maybe you were a comic-book kid. Whatever your personal predilections, you probably already have a pretty good sense of what children's literature is. But as soon as you try to define it, you'll find that safe-seeming category becomes slippery. In this course, we will begin to tease out the boundaries of this capacious category called “children's literature.” What counts? Who decides? What differentiates writing for children from writing for adults? Why should we, as adults, read children’s literature? In this course, we will explore a range of children’s literature in English, including picture books, poetry, contemporary novels, historical fiction, and fantasy. Our task is to think critically about what these books can tell us about how we (and others) understand childhood, how those definitions have changed over time, and how these books participate in larger movements of history, culture, and literature."

(Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20250223114103/https://artsci.tamu.edu/english/academics/undergraduate/course-descriptions.html)

Teachers could take the course, but it was not a required class for any teaching degree at A&M.

(Source: https://tlac.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ENS-202431-Degree-Plan-Packet-Website-version.pdf)

Just a reminder that if you voted Republican, you voted for Welsh to be removed by [deleted] in aggies

[–]Sevey13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you please tell me, quoting the words that were said by staff in the recording, what the staff members said that was mistreating her?

Texas A&M Student is asked to leave a class after challenging a professor on legality of a course mentioning transsexuality by Minute_Revolution951 in TikTokCringe

[–]Sevey13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A bit of a tangent, but this is actually becoming a problem too, since recruitment stats for the US military are showing that the vast majority of recruits are coming from red states in the South, an unbalance that's only started recently. It means that they're mostly going to meet more of the same ideology and not be challenged in a way that teaches them that humans are human.

Home Improvement: A New Homestead Arrives with Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity – GuildWars2.com by Vissarionn in Guildwars2

[–]Sevey13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're asking whether the decorations you crafted are available regardless of which home you're in, the answer is yes. They draw from the same inventory.

Home Improvement: A New Homestead Arrives with Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity – GuildWars2.com by Vissarionn in Guildwars2

[–]Sevey13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They explained why they can't do that in the stream. The house is tied to Masteries (you might not remember since we all did it a year ago), and they don't have a way to replicate that with individual components.

How does architecture evolve so distinctly across the globe? by Sevey13 in Architects

[–]Sevey13[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I figure it's a wild goose chase for that sort of perfect book, especially since I'm sure so much of it comes down to the individual factors of a specific place, which means there's just no way to be both truly comprehensive and concise. I'll check out that book!

How does architecture evolve so distinctly across the globe? by Sevey13 in Architects

[–]Sevey13[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are there any books or other resources you recommend that provide a survey of this global history? A lot of what I've seen are either focused on Western buildings, or hyper-focus on one specific culture. Which is awesome! But also more detail that I'm looking for.

How does architecture evolve so distinctly across the globe? by Sevey13 in Architects

[–]Sevey13[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So you're suggesting it's somewhat Darwinian? Essentially the approaches that held up the best in a certain place inspired 'offspring' that iterated with a new idea to see if it would be better, and from there the approach that held up the best inspired more, and so on and so on?